Parashat B’har Leviticus 25:1-26:2
Dear Friends,
This week, the Torah in Leviticus gives us the concept of the Jubilee Year, in the portion B’har (On the Mountain) with the following: And you shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all the inhabitants of it; it shall be a jubilee to you; and you shall return every person to their possession, and you shall return every person to their family. So compelling are these words that, “proclaim liberty throughout the land,” was inscribed on our Liberty Bell. Freedom is that precious, that important and that dear.
Imagine what it must have been like for our ancestors, having spent ten generations as slaves to have heard these words. They had known nothing else, so how could they even begin to conceive of what that would really mean? While we (at least most of us) on the other hand were born into freedom as were our parents and find it hard to conceive of anything else. Freedom is so integral to our being, we have a tendency to take it for granted, and perhaps not value it as we should.
Yet, one of the lessons of Jewish history is that freedom is easily taken away. Pharaoh simply decides to deal cleverly with us, and we become slaves. Human dignity and aspiration become distant memories, if that. It is a bleak vision, but not one that necessarily will become our future, if we pay attention and actively guard our freedom.
We can do that by being involved with what is happening in the greater community. Injustice demands that we take action to right the wrongs. We can donate to causes that provide for those in need. We can donate to committees that represent our concerns. We can take the time to volunteer and help others. And we can exercise a right that people all over the world have died for, namely the right to vote.
Lately, I have heard all too often, “I am not sure that I am going to vote.” We cannot afford the luxury of inaction and silence. We have to make our voices heard, to ensure that freedom is truly proclaimed throughout the land. If we do this, then the prophecy contained in this Torah portion will be fulfilled: You shall dwell in the land in safety.
There are many legacies we can leave for those who will come after us, but living securely, in a just society, must surely be one of the best.
Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Marv